The Valley’s Visitors and Big Bear Valley Residents were hoping
and praying for a good rain, to brighten-up our receding Big Bear Lake and the thirsty
but naturally beautiful foliage.

Friday evening one wish was granted, when the Valley got intermittent
showers that freshened the air. Old Miners Parade planners and entry volunteers
were either in transit to the mountains or busy in backyards decorating their
floats for the Saturday morning event. Many, at the Big Bear Elks Lodge on
Village Drive where they collected to line-up for the march through the Village
of Big Bear Lake, were heard exchanging stories of the night’s lightning show.

The second wish was granted when approximately 40 entries paraded
down Village Drive and Pine Knot Avenue, without any rain drops!

But there’s one thing we mountain-folk know – when the heavens
roll loudly with thunder there’s always lightning striking somewhere in the San
Bernardino Mountains.

As of early this morning there are three lightning caused fires
in the State Route 38. One fire is near Onyx Summit, a second fire tree
fire was located Poop-out Hill and the other near Barton Flats. All fires
are confined to single trees. Air attack was assigned to the San Bernardino
National Forest area.

(Scanners that normally immediately keep the fire departments,
law enforcement and media alerted to incidents, have been down. We suspect
because of the many power outages that occurred during the thunder and
rainstorm, that probably caused a great difficulty in communications.)